Honoring slain Minnesota leader, Maine House speaker makes plea not to normalize political violence

On the last scheduled day of the legislative session, amid contentious debate on the state budget, House Speaker Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) stepped down from the rostrum to introduce a resolution expressing condolences to the members of the Minnesota Legislature for the deaths of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman.

The Hortmans were shot early Saturday morning in an apparent political assassination. Another Minnesota lawmaker, Democratic Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife were also shot multiple times, though survived with injuries.

“Sometimes the bad things that happen in our nation and our world can feel distant and maybe hollow, as just another headline in the news,” Fecteau said. In this case, however, it was a headline about someone I knew, someone I served with, and someone who I appreciated so much for her leadership, her tenacity, and just her general good spirit.”

Fecteau got to know Hortman, who previously served as Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, while serving on the board of the Democratic Leadership Campaign Committee, a national group focused on electing Democrats to state government. 

The comments came shortly after the chamber held an intense debate over the state budget proposal, and followed months of fighting and acrimony between some members over several contentious issues, including Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn)’s censure for sharing personal details about a transgender teen on her legislative Facebook page.

Minutes before, Rep. Laurie Osher (D-Orono) presented a seperate resolution in recognition of Pride Month and shared how she had received death threats for her work on issues related to LGBTQ+ rights. 

Since the shooting in Minnesota, Maine has removed lawmakers’ home addresses from the Legislature’s website.

Rumors have spread online about the motive of Hortman’s alleged killer, Vance Boelter, though interviews with people who knew him as well as reporting reveal a record of anti-abortion and LGBTQ+ sermons and beliefs. 

Fecteau went on to say that he “can’t help but think about the division that continues to worsen here in our nation, the inflamed rhetoric, which is less and less about the issues we debate in this chamber every day, and more and more about how certain leaders are inherently evil, because of their party affiliation, policy position, or both.” 

He said hopes that what people take from this tragedy is “that we cannot continue to normalize this contempt we have for each other. This contempt that we have for another party, and that we will not normalize political violence in this nation.”

The resolution was adopted in the Senate without discussion and in the House after several members of both parties expressed similar sentiments and, in a few cases, other personal experiences with Hortman.

Rep. Amy Roeder (D-Bangor) explained that she is originally from Minnesota and when she was weighing whether to run for speaker, was told to reach out to Hortman, who she said took the time to talk to her and give her advice.

“I think the greatest thing I’ve learned from being in this House is how easy it is to reach across the aisle, how easy it is to make friends, and I’m very appreciative for that,” Roeder added.

House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor), who did not know Hortman, said that we as a nation must “dial down the political rhetoric.” 

“Political disagreements are part of democracy, but hatred, violence and dehumanization have no place in public life,” Faulkingham said. “It’s time to do better for the memory of Speaker Hortman and all victims of political violence.”